We don’t do our best in isolation.  We don’t get extraordinary things done by working alone with no support, encouragement, expressions of confidence, or help from others.
When leaders expect people to achieve, they do.  When they label people underachievers, performance suffers.  Passionately believing in people and expecting the best of them is another prerequisite to encouraging the heart.
Most people produce more in an environment where they get positive feedback, and productivity diminishes where there is little or no feedback or where they only hear from their leaders if something is wrong.
If leaders provide a clear sense of direction and provide feedback along the way, they encourage people to reach inside and do their best.
James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner — Encouraging the Heart:  A Leaders Guide to Rewarding and Encouraging Others

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Last week, I wrote this:   For 2013, Focus on your Focus.

Now we ask how to make sure that this translates into more success for your organization.

Here is one key.  You will not be successful without the right people on your team.  And, even if you have the right people on your team, you will not be successful without paying careful and nurturing attention to them and their work.  People need help to do their best.  Including you, and including me.

After all, there are human beings. Here’s one more quote from the Kouzes and Posner book:

We lead by being human. We do not lead by being corporate, professional, or institutional.  (Paul G. Hawken, founder, Smith and Hawken).

If you are in any position of leadership or influence, the way you pay attention to the people around you can make all the difference.

Start…  with encouragement.

When you see someone doing anything well, be quick to praise.  Every task done well adds up to a whole bunch of tasks done well, and then the reputation of “this organization does good work” builds and spreads.  This reputation is a great one to have!

And, after you have developed habits of encouragement, and are known as an encourager, you are then in a position to recommend changes, improvements, innovations in work style and appraoch.

If you are clear about the kind of work expected by the folks in your organization, then you can spend some time every day saying these things:

• You are doing well at this.  Keep it up – and thank you.

• You could improve the way you do this – please consider the following changes.  And, thanks for being open to change.

• You know, we’ve never tried this before.  Would you be willing to take a crack at it?  Thanks for being open.

You cannot say thank you too often.

And, you can break the spirit of a worker by ignoring, or constantly criticizing his or her work in a negative manner.  If that is your approach – to ignore, or to only criticize – then your organization probably needs to replace you!

So, for 2013, focus on your people.  Help them be part of a team that builds a genuinely sterling reputation, one that consistently hears from your customers:  “You folks do good work around here.”